


Blew a Candle Out

by amusement



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Depression, Episode: s04e03 Broken Toys, Hurt No Comfort, Other, Sad Ending, Short, Suicide, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-10-12 03:30:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17459792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amusement/pseuds/amusement
Summary: The fight that waged between the communities was over, with only a few remaining survivors left in the aftermath at Ericson's, things began to unravel and there was nothing anyone could do about it.





	Blew a Candle Out

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if this is a downer, I just needed to get it out of my system.

"He's not the same anymore Clem."

At first the words seemed to go in one ear and out the other. It happened a lot she noticed, her responses were slower, because Clementine always had something on her mind. Usually, that something wasn't good, and this time was no exception.

"He's been through trauma Aj...everyone has..." 

"You mean like what happened when we were at the McCarroll ranch?"

"That's right."

Aj looked at the door to their dorm room, then back down to his feet where he was sitting cross legged on his bunk bed. A thousand thoughts and questions racing through his mind as well as he pondered the state of the school.

"Clem..."

"Yeah?"

"Is he going to be okay?"

It was a question she was dreading, but almost knew it would come up in the conversation. But giving him nothing in return didn't feel like a valid option anymore. He was beginning to grow up, and already he was such an independent boy. She hated that she had to speak for Louis, but even more so that she had the same worries as Aj. 

"How about you check on him? I know you always cheer him up."

Aj wasn't convinced, he was too smart. A part of him knew it wasn't true, knew that she was lying to herself and him. But what else could they do? Everyone that had survived the raiders and the explosion had tried to reach him. Aasim shared his passion for journalism, tried to influence Lou to at least write down what happened to him. He even brought up the factor that one day in the future, his story could leave a major mark on history. 

When that hadn't worked, Tenn tried a different approach. He offered Louis his pencils, encouraged him to do art to take his mind off his predicament. But when he did he drew bizarre things. He'd draw eyes, sad ones with a deep limbal ring and tears. 

And when he'd write, he'd scribbled down negative terms like "worthless," and "nothing." Other times there would be three measly dots on a composition notebook page. He hardly ever played the piano anymore, and when he did, the sounds were sorrowful and somber in their wake. It'd be hard for anyone at Ericson to listen to, because his pain could be felt even in the instrument.

Ever since then, the school had become less uplifting. Everyone felt pity for the poor guy, but no one could figure out how to get through to him.  
After much thought, Clem glanced at the shelf that held her cat skull. The etch a sketch instantly grabbed her attention, thus the idea came to her head.

"Here Aj, take this to Louis, he might like it." 

Clem handed Alvin Junior the toy, and he responded with a simple "ok," as he started towards the door.

Before he left though, he stopped in place, the familiar sound of Clem's name sounded out in the room again.

"Clem...what if it doesn't work? I don't want him to be sad all the time anymore."

"We'll try something else then. What works for one person doesn't work for everyone. And that's okay. Maybe he just...needs some time."

At this, he felt more reassured, so he left the room.

\---

Aj crept through the boarding school quietly, his small shoes tip toeing as he carried the toy with him. Aj knew he could make Louis get better, if he tried hard enough. He knew that having "trauma" sucked, but he was able to manage it too. His naive nature brought him to a shaky conclusion. One he wasn't sure of himself. He'd always felt like he could do anything, and he'd go above and beyond to protect his friends.  
Upon walking to the door, he took a deep breath; exhaling deep air from his lungs. He wasn't afraid, but normally Louis left the door open ajar. He thought nothing of it though. 

Aj reached his small hand to unlock the doorknob, he turned it and gently opened the door.

"Louis?" 

Aj called out his name quietly while he slowly stepped into the piano room. It was just as dark in there as it was outside in the dead of night. Aj opted to take the small white candle he had in his pocket out. He lit it up with ease for he couldn't see anything inside.

"Louis....?" Alvin Jr. tried again.

Aj didn't see him inside, so he decided to search the other rooms. He lead himself up the stairs and towards Marlon's office. He knew that Louis liked to go in there sometimes when he was feeling down. Though it wasn't Aj's favorite place to go, and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt every time he even recalled Marlon for one second.

A shiver ran down his spine as he made his way towards the source of the cold. He noticed the window to the balcony was open in the room so he got closer, thinking that maybe Louis had left the school, or worse: been kidnapped again.

When Aj's paranoid idea passed his mind, he sprinted towards the open window quickly. He looked out into the distance for any sign of his capture, but he saw nothing at first.

The boy looked directly down to the ground, and he felt a weird sensation cascading across his skin, like raised bumps. 

"Noooo!" Aj yelled out

The flame of the candle dissipated from the gust of wind that seeped through the open latch of the window.

In Alvin Junior's view was Louis' body: he fell.

But that didn't seem right, people don't just fall out of a window, even if they're drinking that stuff called "beer", which was something Louis liked to do. But Aj was hardened, and it didn't take long for him to figure out what happened. 

He gave up.

\---

"Hey goofball...how'd it go?"

Aj's face was stone cold, he still had the etch a sketch in his tiny hands.

"What's wrong Aj?" Clementine asked innocently.

Aj sat on his bed in silence, it was the most emotionless that she had ever seen him. Then he spoke up this time, and Clem knew something was wrong. 

"He blew his candle out."


End file.
